What’s one
thing nobody told you about the years after 60, when retirement was supposed to
be filled with your favorite pastimes? By the time you got here, aged-related
changes to your neck, shoulders and wrists might have turned all those pastimes
into chores.

And at Sixty and Me we think that’s not fair, and certainly not the way to spend our golden years. So we’ve asked our favorite yoga instructor Cat Kabira, to come to the rescue with the second of our three-video Chair Yoga for Seniors series.

And with
Cat as your guide, you’ll have options as to how challenging you want your
workout to be. Although the videos are designed specifically for beginners, she
offers each pose with different levels of difficulty.

In the
few poses that require standing, your chair remains there to support you. Pair
those factors with Cat’s firm belief in using props, coming out of poses as
soon as necessary and working within your limits, and you have an approach to
chair yoga as flexible as any yogi!

How Chair Yoga for Seniors Can Help What Ails You

By
focusing on the neck, shoulders and wrists, Cat says, this video is designed to
“… open and unlock the tension in those areas.” And — if you’re like most of
us who have spent an inordinate amount of time hunched over computers pounding
our keyboards — your neck, shoulders and wrists are storehouses of tension!

Even if you don’t have a computer-centric lifestyle, poor posture combined with decades of stress may have taken their toll on your upper body. So when your neck pain has become… well… a pain in the neck, it’s time to act!

To get
the most out of this workout, you may need to use a strap, scarf or belt as a
prop. By breathing deeply into your core (Pranayama)
when you start and during each pose, you‘ll nourish your entire body with
oxygen.

Over
time, deep breathing may improve your lung capacity, while stretching and
opening your neck and shoulders will also give your posture a lift.

Combine
these benefits with decreased pain and increased flexibility in your wrists and
hands? That’s quite a payback for about 30 minutes of working out in the
comfort of your chair, but there’s even more.

As a
bonus, you’ll end the poses with movements to relax your jaw — and may be
surprised by how good that feels! Then it’s
on to shavsana, when you can close
your eyes and just let any remaining tension evaporate from your body.

What are your thoughts on trying chair yoga for your
neck, shoulders and wrists? How do you feel about Cat’s flexible approach to
the poses? Please share in our conversations?

Disclaimer

Nothing on this website should be considered medical advice. Always consult a doctor before making any changes to your diet, medical plan, or exercise routine. Likewise, we do not offer legal or financial advice. Click to see our full disclaimer.